Backyard Parties

1990s: Party out of Bounds

Frankie Z. of Madness and Lee of The Lost Boys promoted events in South Central Los Angeles inspired by the Eastside scene. Their neighborhoods were rougher in that they were ground zero for the Crip and Blood wars over crack cocaine sales. This effected their promotion style and music selections as they tried to keep peace on their dance floors. Nonetheless they continued to refine their work and eventually outgrow the Eastside's party paradigm.

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Written by Gerard Meraz

The 1990s saw DJ culture become self aware and grow exponentially as new media like magazines, radio shows and the Internet took DJ-based entertainment to broader levels and communication became nearly instantaneous. The backyard party DJs of the 1990s had more music and styles to utilize in their sets as they were aware of the generation of DJs before them and they were becoming aware of DJ culture throughout the world via MTV, radio, websites and various emerging media.

Parties featured "80s flashback" DJs alongside DJs who were mixing house and techno music coming from the other side of the United States and Europe. Magazines such as URB, XLR8R, STREET BEAT, VIBE, SENSURD, and others covered the Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Chicago underground scenes that took root in restaurants, halls, clubs and warehouses. They also wrote about massive parties in the fields of England called Raves.

Radio shows like POWER TOOLS (KPWR 105.9 FM) featured local and internationally recognized DJs playing a variety of music and their accompanying mix styles on the largest radio station in Southern California.

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Posted Aug 14, 2008
10:34 AM
by DJICE9
HOLLYWOOD, CA

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